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President Donald Trump praised the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk as an “American hero” and one of the nation’s “greatest patriots” during a memorial service Sunday that drew a capacity crowd at State Farm Stadium and beyond.
“This is like an old-time revival, isn’t it? An old-time revival,” Trump said from the stage. “He devoted his life to converting young people to the conservative cause. How did he do? Take a look.”
President Trump also declared, “He’s a martyr now for American freedom.” He also said, “Our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal.” He plans to honor Kirk at the White House with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed earlier this month while speaking at Utah Valley University. The service brought together several members of Trump’s Cabinet, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Head of the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Deputy Director of the FBI Dan Bongino were also in attendance.
Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX and former head of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, was also in attendance, along with Republican lawmakers from both chambers.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who will take over as chief executive of Turning Point USA, told the crowd she forgave her husband’s killer.
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did. And it is what Charlie would do,” she said.
Trump later joined Erika Kirk onstage during the closing hymn, “America the Beautiful,” and predicted that the organization her husband co-founded would grow. “Turning Point USA will be bigger and better than ever before,” he said.
Organizers estimated about 100,000 people attended the service at the home stadium of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. The venue recently hosted Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour launch.
The U.S. Secret Service led security in what some compared to a Super Bowl-level operation.
